NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 181 



requisite to settle definitely, this point, upon which at present I have no opin- 

 ion to offer. 



DlOMEDEA MELANOPHRYS Boie. 



Diomedea melanopkrys, Boie, Temm. PI. Ool. No. 456. Gould, B. Aust. pi. 43 ; 

 and of authors generally. 



Habitat. Southern Oceaus generally. 



The bill is moderately compressed throughout, least so at the base where 

 it is very high or deep. The culmen is transversely rounded, non-carinated ; 

 its dorsal outliue moderately concave, descending from the forehead nearly 

 in a straight line to near the middle of the bill, whence it gradually ascends 

 to the unguis. The latter is very convex and much decurved, though not 

 rising so high as in some other species. The culminicorn basally descends a 

 little on either side to overlap the roots of the nostrils, and to coalesce witli 

 the latericorn ; no space of soft skin being interposed. The lateral sulcus fol- 

 lows very nearly the curve of the culmen, to near the unguis, where it rapidly 

 decurves. The commissural edge of the upper mandible is lightly curved. 

 The outline of the rami of the inferior mandible is nearly straight; the inter- 

 ramicorn somewhat protuberant, and extending far into the submental space. 

 The inferior unguicorn is much compressed, not very deep, its apex rather 

 acute, but little attenuated. 



The nostrils are short and small; quite different in this feature from those 

 of exulans or brachyura. They are subconical in general shape ; being consid- 

 erably dilated anteriorly, and basally narrowirg to a point ; their orifices con- 

 siderably dilated, with thin margins ; suboval in shape, looking upwards and 

 forwards. This description of nostril is applicable to the other species of this 

 subdivision of the genus. 



The frontal feathers embrace the base of the bill in a nearly straight line ; 

 hiving a slight forward obliquity, however, as they descend on the sides of 

 the upper mandible. On the culmen a very slightly reentrant curve (not angle) 

 is formed. On the side of the lower mandible the feathers begin slightly pos- 

 terior to their termination on the upper; extending somewhat forward, and 

 with a slight convexity, as they go downwards. 



The bill is yellow, more or less pure and uniform in tint ; in immature birds 

 clouded with brown. Some portion of the unguis is usually dark colored. 

 The soft skin at the extreme base of the bill makes a narrow black line all 

 around. 



White; back plumbeous black, more cinereous anteriorly, where it merges 

 gradually into the white of the neck. Wings and tail black; the latter with 

 a grayish or plumbeous tinge, especially basally. Shafts of quills yellowish, 

 becoming black terminally. Shafts of tail featbers white throughout. A ci- 

 nereous black transocular fascia. " Legs and toes yellowish white, the inter- 

 digital membrane and the joints washed with blue." (Gould.) 



Chord of culmen 4-25 ; height at base 1-75: width 1-00; from feathers on 

 side of lower mandible to its tip 375. Tarsus 3-25; middle toe 4-75; outer 

 4'50 ; inner 4-00. Wing 20-00; tail 9-00 ; its graduation 200. 



Diomedea Gilliana Coues, nov. sp. 



Belonging to the group of white, black-backed Albatrosses of which melano- 

 phrys is typical, and with the characters of the culminicorn generally as in that 

 species. The shape of the bill, however, most nearly approaches that of cul- 

 minata ; but the characters of the culminicorn posterior to the nostrils are 

 quite diverse from those of the latter species, as follows : 



Instead of continuing, between the nostrils and the forehead, no broader 

 than it is anterior to them, it there widens, descending on either side to over- 

 lap their roots, and to coalesce by a simple sulcus with the upper edge of the 

 latericorn. There is thus left no space to be filled by soft skin. Tee dorsal 



1866.1 



